Greg's Ecuadorian Adventure

In the heart of Old Quito So far, I have been here eight days in Quito. This is such a beautiful city, where old meets new. Last week Saturday, a group of us new International hires went on a city bus tour that I would absolutely recommend. You can see my review of this on TripAdvisor here . We started at  Parque la Carolina , which is in New Quito, and heads deep into the heart of Old Quito. My new home with my roommate is in New Quito, nestled between the neighborhoods of Gonzalez Suarez  and Baton Alto . Just to the East of our home is a museum for a beloved Ecuadorian artist, called Guayasamin , and Parque Metropoliano . ( I know I am missing some accents on the letters..... I have yet to figure out how to quickly do that on my USA keyboard) These locations are high on my list of places to go and see. For the park, one of my guidance counselors and LD specialists told me that the park is much better and safer to visit in the mornings and on the weekends. When I go th...

The first day in Quito for me was a gentle awakening to how things operate in Quito. Half of us new hires hopped into a van-bus hybrid and went to the office building where we would begin processing our Intercultural Exchange Visa application. Thankfully, HR members at the school filled out the paperwork to the "T," otherwise I wouldn't have known where to begin, where to go, or what to say. We began in the lobby, then made our way to the third story/second floor, into another lobby, sat and waited while, one-by-one, we were called up to have our photo taken. The strangest part of it all is they will have our physical copy of our passports for two to three weeks. What's scarier yet is that a USA passport can, allegedly, go for about $5000 USD... INSANE! I will be holding onto mine with an iron grip. After working on processing my VISA request, the next most important thing to do was find housing. HOUSING My new position is at the American School of Quito, or Fun...

So much has happened since moving to Quito on Sunday that I don't know where to begin... but how about at the beginning: TRAVEL If you are flying into Quito, be wary of the travel date(s). There is a baggage embargo enforced from early June to the end of August. The airlines say it is because of the Ecuadorian government; however, it is an airline "policy," due to peak travel season. I say "policy" because, apparently, you can sternly force the airline you are traveling with to override the embargo and allow you to check excess, oversized, and/or overweight baggage. This is probably more important to know if you plan on moving here, rather than mere travel. I managed to check two bags that were just under the weight limit (49 pounds each!). My carry-on and personal bag were probably just about the same. I tried to bring as much as I needed for the time being. When my dad visits after the new year, I am going to have him bring along the third bag I packed. I...